Marsili pointed to Stone's lack of a criminal past as a factor jurors should consider and said that at the time of the killings, Stone was under extreme emotional or mental disturbance and didn't have the capacity to understand the crime.

Marsili called a neuropsychologist who interviewed Stone as a witness. Dr. Carol Walker testified that Stone has always expressed guilt and remorse for what he had done. He also called a boyhood friend of Stone's, Mike Farmer, who testified that Stone was a loving father who was loved by his children.

The defense is showing Farmer several family photos and having him describe them. He says Zachary and Stone smiled together a lot. He says the little boy loved his dad.

In his closing argument, assistant district attorney Tim Gann said Krista and Zachary were gone because evil exists in the world, and there are no excuses for evil behavior.

“When I think about Krista, when he attacked her, what was going through her mind...think about how she fought," Gann told the jury. "She did the best she could. I would argue that she is not only fighting for herself but for her children as well.”

Judge Donna Pate did not set a date for Stone's sentencing, but she could still sentence Stone to death. Alabama stopped letting judges override jury recommendations in 2017, but the ban is not retroactive. Since Stone's case began before the ban, Pate still has the power to operate under the "judicial override" model.